The Kickabout: All the good, bad and memorable from MLS Week One

MLS kicked off this week, and we here at For the Win wanted to celebrate by launching a weekly rundown of all the memorable moments from America’s soccer league. We’re calling it The Kickabout, because it’s fun and we like fun.

Expect a touch of analysis, a few medium-funny jokes, and lots of goals and highlights every Monday. Existing MLS fans, hopefully this will be a fun place we can hang out every week. Non-MLS fans: Come on in, the water is fine.

And look, even real Premier League writers are getting in on the action:

Is it wrong that I just discovered Vancouver vs New York in MLS and I'm really enjoying it? It can't be. It feels so right.

The Game of the Week:

It wasn’t the most beautiful game, but the season’s opener between defending champion Sporting Kansas City and the extremely popular Seattle Sounders was an oddly fitting match to kick off this whole campaign. Played in front of a crowd of nearly 40,000 people — an opening day record — the two teams fought through gross weather and (at times) grosser soccer for 90 minutes.

In extra time, though, the little-known Chad Barrett got into the box and, following a scrum and Clint Dempsey hitting the cross-bar, managed to bundle the ball home as the CenturyLink Field crowd lost their minds.

Barrett’s goal was like a metaphor for the entire MLS right now — it was as beautiful as you wanted it to be. For people who don’t like MLS, the goal was an ugly muddling-in that some silly fans got way too excited over. For fans of MLS, the goal was the result of a strong bit of play from American superstar Clint Dempsey and then the hard work of Barrett, who scored a clutch game-winner in front of a packed crowd of true supporters.

Both are sort of right. It all depends on how you want to look at the thing.

Darlington Nagbe has no regard for human ankles:

MLS

In an MLS preview video we said Darlington Nagbe was our player to watch this year. THIS IS WHY WE SAID SUCH THINGS.

Kyle Beckerman hair update:

Still dreadlocked. Still fantastic.

Andrew Fielding-USA TODAY Sports

This has been your Kyle Beckerman hair update.

Hey, some people actually showed up to a Chivas USA game!

There’s photographic proof and everything:

Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Also, in one of the more surprising scorelines of the week, Chivas beat Chicago, 3-2. The won 6 of 34 games last year, so starting off undefeated has to be considered a serious accomplishment. Who in MLS has beaten Chivas this season? NO ONE, THAT’S WHO.

The “He did what now?” moment of the week:

Jonny Steele of the Red Bulls used his back to beat his man. I’m not even sure what this move is called. I guess it’s the Jonny Steele. (Not a bad name, actually.)

101 Great Goals

Foul of the week:

The Timbers’ Pa Modou Kah with the slightest of tugs on Maurice Edu’s jersey.

Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

As for how Edu played otherwise? Just fine. The new Union signing was calm and collected for much of their opening 1-1 draw to the Timbers, dominating the midfield and often times calming down the frenzied pace of the game. While the Union did give up a late goal to throw away two points, they can’t be upset with how their big signing played, or what Edu promises to bring the team going forward.

Patriotism is alive and well in MLS:

The Timbers fans don’t need any help singing the national anthem, thank you very much.

Goal of the week:

This might not be the obvious pick, but Columbus’ first goal against United on Saturday was a gorgeous display of one touch passing, link-up play, and fine finishing.

Yes, it was against D.C. United, who seemed to pick right up where last year’s team left off in terms of stinking a lot, but the Crew goal showed a team that is starting to figure it out. It was a training ground goal, one their new coach Gregg Berhalter has to love, and something Crew fans can enjoy watching highlights of here.

They have to watch highlights here because many of them can’t watch their own team play — the Crew’s new TV deal with Time Warner Cable blacks out both home and away games for any non-TWC customer within 75 miles of Columbus. (Fans in Columbus are not pleased.)

Other goal of the week:

We can’t have two goals of the week? Says who? That’s right. This is our thing, and we say two goals of the week. The second is FC Dallas’ Mauro Diaz bending one in from 20 yards.

MLS kicked off this week, and we here at For the Win wanted to celebrate by launching a weekly rundown of all the memorable (…)

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